Bostonians of a certain age like myself will remember the legendary Bob Lee's islander on Tyler Street in Chinatown for what is now known as Americanized Chinese food. It was like walking into an exotic Disneyland. And Bob Lee himself would greet you at the door. It was the golden age of what would now be known as a "tiki" place. For those who are sticklers for political correctness, these places may have been somewhat short on authenticity and historical accuracy, but back then they were a wonderland for people of all ages. And the food was good too.

Qing Dao Garden (in North Cambridge on Mass Ave near its intersection with the bike path) and Wang's Fast Food (on the phallic strip of Broadway in Somerville at Magoun Square) both have a solid lineup of American-Chinese favorites (peking ravs, crab rangoon, chow mein, etc), along with good house-made dumplings. I think these two places were started by the same family, but I'm not absolutely sure about this.

(What saddens me is the loss of Hana Sushi on Mass Ave (on same block as Qing Dao), which closed over the summer. This was a reliable spot for Japanese & Korean food that my whole family loved. A new Japanese restaurant is opening in its place, but unfortunately it looks like it offers far fewer veggie options.)